Arsenal Women are set to play an A League Women’s All Stars at Marvel Stadium on 24 May, becoming the first WSL team to play on Australian soil. This story was initially reported by the Herald Sun.
The Gunners have known for some time there is no chance of being involved in the Women’s Champions League Final in Bilbao on 25 May, enabling them to plan a post-season match in Australia.
Arsenal’s season finishes with a home game against Brighton on Saturday, 18 May. With three Matildas players in the squad in Melbourne native Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross, Arsenal Women have cultivated a strong fan base Down Under.
Tickets will cost around $59 and go on sale from Ticketek at 12noon Melbourne time on 28 March. The game between Arsenal and the A League All Stars will be second on the bill as part of a double header, with Newcastle United Men to take on on A-League All Stars Men’s side before.
The friendly has obvious commercial benefits but with international breaks scheduled during June and July, it does cut into an already interrupted summer break for the majority of the Arsenal squad.
Out of curiosity, do players get paid outside of the usual salary for these exhibition games?
It will be lovely for the Matildas in the squad, and I hear Melbourne is a lovely city…but I hope that proper rest has been planned. Otherwise we could find ourselves having a truncated preseason with tired players and a difficult start to next season, what with the WCL qualifying round 1 being in early September.
I was thinking of the Olympics, but I forgot Neths and Sweden will *not* be there, so it’s a third of the squad involved, not as many as I feared. Sorry!
And there’s Euro qualifying game’s as well coming up as well
Sorry that didn’t read as well as it should!
Can I go as Lessi’s carry on luggage?
It’s a very long way to travel for an exhibition match. Hope all the players make it back healthy.
After last Friday I would suggest a number of our players need a holiday not fly to the far side of the planet for a commercial venture! It’s probably all these long haul flights that have knocked the stuffing out of Antipodeans.
Wonder when Steph Cayley is having her wedding?! Hopefully not another lengthy trip!
Wish they’d fly norf to NSW either Sydney or Central Coast too!!!
Anyone know the name of Phil Costa’s new podcast (or is it not out yet?)
TIA